Presto Change-Oh

How does a great guitar get made these days? I have done some on-line research, and read what some ex-Masterbuilders say. Lets start at the top... the 10K Strat that Eric (Clapton) orders from the custom shop. His Masterbuilder goes into a room full of wood, that probably has already been set up with one 'special' area, for high-end guitars, sort of like PRS's "Private Stash"... the Builder then sorts through the wood, and 'taps' on the pieces, until he finds one that in his expert opinion will resonate the way Eric would like it to. He then might select another piece of wood the same way, for the neck... except Eric might want some 'Flame' here. The Masterbuilder then selects Eric's pickups and electronics etc and commences building the guitar himself (using some modern machinery). Now for the next level down... the 5K Masterbuilt Guitar... actually most likely built the same way, either to your own Specs, or theirs. How about the 'Team Built Guitars'...well, they most likely have a perfectly good selection of wood to go through (enough for anyone to make a wonderful guitar), but some areas are off-limits (obviously, or there would be none for Eric and Andy...Summers). The 'Team' member though has less experience in making magic, and is basically an aprentice to a Master. Now, how about all those $2000 'Relic' Guitars? Well... I am guessing there is someone (maybe named Burt), who sits all day, and plays each one, as it goes to final polishing and to be packaged for shipping... he is looking for that odd-unusual piece of 'happenstance magic'...that spontaneously occured... because it can. When he finds one, it is removed and put aside... it may go for dealer promotions... or to an artist like Fred Durst, etc. What chance does someone like us have of going to the floor of Guitar Center and playing 34 guitars and finding a "great one"... about zero... the guy working there at 8am, who puts them out on the showroom floor wants one too..or has promised to call his friend with a band when he finds a 'good one'..and he got there 2 hours before you....to tell the truth though, it's like going through your change for that 1965 dime with the silver edge, worth 20K.... if everyone else was out-to-lunch that day, you might luck out...keep your finger's crossed...and check your change...